Typically, the airflow in a computer chassis is received or ejected in an area that is adjacent to the removable circuit boards which have an edge connector for connection to a mother board. Moreover, the removable circuit boards usually include thermally sensitive components that reliably operate only within a certain temperature range. Therefore, these components require a certain amount of cooled air to maintain a temperature within that range.
Using the traditional method of defining an airflow path in a chassis creates a region of low airflow across an area of the removable circuit board. Because of this region of low airflow, circuit board designers are required to keep thermally sensitive components out of that area. Thus, the design options and possibilities are unnecessarily limited.
Therefore, what is needed is a method and an apparatus that provides for an improved airflow path over all areas of a removable circuit board mounted inside a chassis such that the efficiency of the device used to move the air through the chassis is increased.